The Rural Voice, 1980-08, Page 35Protein from hay,
soya beans are
topics at Perth
Soil and Crop
BY DONNA THIEL
The Perth Soil and Crop Improvement
Association held their twilight meeting at
Rossholm Farms Ltd. near Russeldale.
This is one of the more modern haylage
operations in the area.
The theme of the three hour meeting
was the methods of acquiring the highest
protein levels from hay crops. There was
also a chance to inspect several varieties of
alfalfa and the newest hay harvesting
equipment. Having the proper equipment
is essential to harvesting high quality hay.
Rob McLaughlin, farm specialist from
Guelph's crop science department,
stressed the importance of ensuring a high
protein harvest. This begins when the
crops are planted in spring; as early as
May 5. Planting early also gives farmers a
fair chance of getting three cuts of good
hay during the growing season.
It is important to plant pure stands of
alfalfa in clean, weedfree fields. Also
harvest should be early while the hay is
still in the bud stage.
Rossholm Farms in Fullarton township is
a business owned by brothers Jim and Bob
Ross. They are milking 125 cows, 88%
being purebreds. They also produce as
much of their own hay as possible.
The ladies program was held in the
Russeldale Hall. Linda Lantz gave a talk
and demonstration on soya beans.
In the month of October, the Soya Bean
Marketing Board will be demonstrating
their product, giving out samples, recipes
and information.
If you would like their 54 page booklet or
information write to Linda Lantz, c/o The
Ontario Soya Bean Growers Marketing
Board, Box 1199, Chatham, Ontario, N7M
5L8.
"Soya beans are truly a very versatile,
nutritious and economical food product".
said Linda Lantz.
Students search
for problem weeds
Twenty-four students will be combing
the province this summer searching for
locations of new Ontario weeds.
"The object of the Ontario Weed Survey
is to seek out the location and distribution
of new problem weeds which are creeping
into the province," says Doug McLaren,
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
weed specialist. "Many of these weeds
lack established control methods."
The Ontario Weed Survey is the first to
focus on these problem weeds. The four
student crews will be working out of
Guelph, Centralia, St. Thomas and Har-
row. The students will spend three months
looking for 18 varieties of grasses and
broad-leaved weeds. Johnson grass, proso
millet, giant foxtail, Jerusalem artichoke
and wire -stemmed muhly are just a few of
the new problem weeds concerning re-
searchers.
"First the crews inspect fields where we
know the weeds exist," says Mr. McLaren.
"Then they check adjacent fields to see if
the weeds have spread. They will map each
field, record weed locations and measure
the density of weed infestations."
"The success of the program depends on
the cooperation of farmers involved," says
Mr. McLaren. "The farmers benefit from
the project because researchers use the
survey information to develop new weed
control methods. We are particularly
concerned about the increasing problem of
Johnson grass, a stubborn perennial.
Students will be hoeing and spraying any
Johnson grass they find to prevent seeding
this year."
The Ontario Weed Survey, sponsored by
Agriculture Canada, the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food, and the Univer-
sity of Guelph, started June 1 and will
continue until mid-August.
belongs to:
J. Hawkins,
R.R. 6, Goderich
Tough hay causes fires
Each year farmers lose millions of
dollars in barn fires by storing tough hay.
Rising temperatures in tough hay can make
the protein indigestible and, more import-
antly, can cause spontaneous combustion
and a potentially devastating fire.
"If hay is 25 per cent or higher in
moisture, microorganisms on the leaves
and stems begin to multiply by consuming
the hay's simple sugars and protein,
causing it to sweat," says R.W. Fulkerson,
crop scientist at the University of Guelph.
"Dry, loosely baled hay, about 20 per cent
moisture, generates little heat which it
loses easily, and little sweating occurs. But
tough baled hay sweats, causing color to
change from green to yellow, brown, or
even black, and temperatures to rise. This
sets the stage for spontaneous combust-
ion.",
To test your hay's moisture level, twist a
small handful of hay vigorously four or five
times. Stems will break at low moisture
levels, but at higher levels they will be
rope -like. You can also test moisture levels
by peeling off the stem's epidermis. The
layer comes off at high moisture levels, but
can't be loosened when the hay is dry
enough to store.
If your hay is too wet at baling time,
stook it in the fields and let it sweat a few
days before storing. Place heavy, tough
bales on the outside of the mow, with the
cut side out. Never put them together in
the centre of the mow.
If hay gets warm after storage, check it
twice a day by shoving an iron rod into the
warm areas. Check the rod after an hour.
If it's too hot to hold, you may be in
trouble.
To monitor hot hay, drill several
one -centimetre holes, •15 to 30 cm from the
end of a pointed piece of pipe. Push the
pipe into the hot hay and lower a
thermometer into the pipe and check the
temperature every few hours.
"If the temperature rises to 66°C
(150°F), your hay is entering the danger
zone. Contact your local fire department or
local agricultural representative for in-
structions," says Professor Fulkerson.
"At 79°C (175°F), there could be spots in
the mow capable of bursting into tlame.
Call the fire department to wet it down."
The best advice is to May it safe. Make
sure your hay is dry before storing it. A few
extra hours drying in the field is the
cheapest insurance for top quality feed and
safety from fire.
THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1980 PG. 33